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                              Time System

                              How does time work in Japanese?
                              You must know the first twelve numbers in order to learn this.

                              Here's a list. The first column are some numbers. If you pronounce them like that when you use them for time, then that's bad. The list on the right is how you pronounce them if you're saying the time, but ONLY the time. Get it?
                              SHI / YON
                              NANA
                              KYUU 
                              YO
                              SHICHI
                              KU
                              So, to say for instance 2:00, then:

                              1) Get the number. For instance, TWO.
                              2) Check it's not on the list above.
                              2a) If if is, remember to pronounce it from the GREEN list, not the RED.
                              3) Add JI じ onto it.
                              4) There you go!

                              So:
                              二じ = 2:00

                              However, it is better to use the KANJI for JI. So instead of drawing じ, draw 時 instead.

                              So it's better to write 2:00 as:

                              二時
                              rather than

                              二じ

                              Got it?

                              Now we'll get onto minutes.

                              For every 5 minutes, put ふん

                              For every 10 minutes, put ぷん


                              So, if you were to write 2:05, you'd do:

                              二時五ふん  
                                  two       ji         five            fun

                              But if you were to write 2:10, you'd do:

                              二時十ぷん  
                                  two       ji         ten            pun
                              Again though, it's always best to use kanji when you can. So the kanji for minute is 分.

                              So to use this, replace the 'fun' or 'pun' part for the kanji. The reason I show you how to do it in hiragana first is so you know where the pronunciation is.

                              So to write 2:05, it's best to do:

                              二時五分 
                              rather than

                              二時五ふん 
                              I hope you learnt something from this, and please post your feedback here!
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